Microsoft has confirmed that certain Windows 11 virtual desktops fail to load after user sign-in, resulting in a black screen that requires manual intervention to restore. The issue affects devices running the August 2026 non-security preview update or later versions, particularly within Azure Virtual Desktop environments that utilize FSLogix. Affected systems may display Application event log entries related to Windows Explorer crashes.

Users encountering the problem can temporarily resolve it by opening Task Manager and launching explorer.exe as a new process. Microsoft has released a Known Issue Rollback (KIR) package deployable via Group Policy to disable the problematic change pending a permanent fix. The company stated it is developing a resolution, which will be included in a future Windows update.

The glitch appears distinct from a separate issue tied to the same August preview update, which previously replaced some customized desktop backgrounds with solid black. That earlier problem was addressed in September, though Microsoft has not identified the specific conditions that trigger the current failure beyond noting it "appears to occur more frequently with some existing user profiles."

Microsoft has not specified whether Windows 10 or Windows Server platforms are impacted, though internal testing indicates versions 26H1, 25H2, and 24H2 of Windows 11 are affected. The recurrence of such issues follows earlier quality concerns tied to recent updates, including one that disrupted taskbar functionality and another linked to a printer-driver compatibility flaw. These incidents have drawn criticism regarding the reliability of Microsoft's update cycle, particularly as the company continues to emphasize improvements to Windows stability and performance.